FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – As the Government faces the task of analyzing various tax structures in response to pending regional and international trade agreements, customs officers met in Freeport yesterday to learn how best to complement national tax initiatives.
Brokers and shipping agents also participated in the opening of the two-day revenue-enhancement seminar.
“We are looking at the global implications, so much so that we had a consultant come in the other day who said that he gets the first impression of how a country is doing when he sees how well the customs and immigration officers perform,” Comptroller of Customs John Rolle told the Bahama Journal.
“Getting the customs officers to understand the implications of WTO, FTAA and other trade pacts in addition to their revenue protection and collection process helps us to prepare for the future,” he said.
According to Mr. Rolle, the treatment of temporary goods as well as a strong level of integrity on the part of customs officers will show international bodies that The Bahamas is ready for globalization.
In his opening remarks, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Michael Halkitis challenged customs officers to prepare themselves for changes in trade and technology.
“The prospect of The Bahamas joining the WTO and/or the FTAA has some very real implications for customs management as regards transparency, the facilitation of business transactions and increased standardization of rules of origin procedures,” he said.
While Mr. Halkitis stressed the need for the customs department to grow with the times, Mr. Rolle acknowledged that the department faces several real challenges.
“We have a lack of resources and a lack of knowledge of where the country is going,” Mr. Rolle said. “One of our major problems is we still don’t have control over the hiring of people, and not just hiring but also the disposing of those who do not perform and do not comply.
“We must overcome this problem, and we need to get the people with dedication and commitment. I’ve seen some officers who are now empowered to believe that the organization is a part of them, but we still have a few that are not convinced.”
With regard to technology, Mr. Rolle indicated that automated systems would not only assist the customs department in detecting fraud, but would also provide officers with a benchmark of product costs worldwide.
Mr. Halkitis said that Ministry of Finance is reviewing a proposal from the British Crown Agents to supply modern software which, if adopted, could improve revenue collection, target fraud and support modern risk management techniques.
According to Mr. Rolle, regional networking has also helped Bahamas Customs to improve.
“We’ve been a part of the World Customs Organization and the Caribbean Law Enforcement Council and out of those associations we knew that we had to improve both management and technical training,” he said.
During the day’s sessions, Mr. Rolle also challenged customs officers to be diligent in record keeping of customs charges to ensure that the country’s tariff system can be accurately evaluated as it enters into trade negotiations.
The revenue enhancement seminar was schedule to close today at the Our Lucaya Resort
By Sharon Williams, The Bahama Journal
